The Atlantic
Josh Tyrangiel’s Atlantic profile compares Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk as their companies pursue influence in space, framing the two billionaires as potential checks on one another’s power. The article’s cover story assesses who is ahead in their race to shape the future of the space sector.
Commercial Space
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Robert Ihnatisin, whose experience is in terrestrial 3D printing, says he was struck by the slow progress of manufacturing in orbit and founded Orbital Matter to address the gap. The article offers no details on the company’s technology, funding or plans, but frames its creation as an attempt to accelerate the sector.
Muhammad Hunain of Melagen Labs says spacecraft are still shielded with aluminum, while rad-hardened electronics remain too expensive to produce at the scale the space economy demands. His comments frame radiation protection and component costs as persistent constraints on scaling spacecraft production.
Balerion has raised more than $200 million for its second fund, exceeding its target. The firm had closed about $90 million as of May, according to Venture Capital Journal; co-founder and General Partner Daniel Kleinmann attributed subsequent momentum to portfolio companies reaching milestones and raising up-rounds that resonated with limited partners.
SpaceX agreed to acquire up to 14 megahertz of paired 800-megahertz spectrum from Grain Management, adding to its push into wireless service. Bernstein downgraded AT&T, citing pressure from SpaceX, while Morningstar raised its uncertainty ratings for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to high from medium.
High activity
Josh Tyrangiel’s Atlantic profile compares Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk as their companies pursue influence in space, framing the two billionaires as potential checks on one another’s power. The article’s cover story assesses who is ahead in their race to shape the future of the space sector.
High activity
A Falcon 9 launched NASA’s 35th SpaceX commercial resupply mission from Cape Canaveral, carrying more than 6,300 pounds of crew supplies, equipment and science hardware to the International Space Station. The Cargo Dragon is also delivering two roll-out solar arrays for the station’s power-system upgrade.
A looming shortage of launch capacity is helping drive record investment across the space economy, as satellite operators seek alternative rockets and funding to withstand deployment delays. The pressure underscores how access to launch remains a constraint on satellite deployment and is reshaping demand for launch providers.
Proposals for orbital data centers promise access to abundant solar power and room to scale, but could also put valuable computing infrastructure in a contested domain. The concern grows as militaries embrace artificial intelligence and treat computing facilities as critical infrastructure, raising the stakes of conflict in space.
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